Head-harness for foot-ball players.



PATENTBD- APR. 7, 1903,;

v J. w. GURTISSL 4 HEAD HARNESS FOR FOOT BALL PLAYERS.

APPLICATION FILED KTOR-ZL 110' MODEL.

[/0 Houym 'YNITEED STATES unit CURTISS, or GREENWlCI-I, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO A. c.

AND NEW YORK,

i-uama-i-uauuss's FOR FOOT-BALL PLAYERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 724,444, dated April '7, 1903.

I Application filed November 21,1902. Serial No. 132,187. Clio model.)

To wZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JULIAN W. Guu'rrss, a

citizen of the'United States,- residing in Greenwich, in the State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements .in Head-Harness for Foot-Ball Players, of

whichthe following is a specification, refer- "once being had to the accompanying draw- .ings, forming a part hereof.

against inj ury from blows or otherwise.

This invention relates to the headcovering worn by foot-ball players and intended to protect the head and ears of the players rious forms of head-covering for this purpose have been devised and have been used to a acter it has been somewhat uncomfortable to the wearer and has also been found. under produce a some conditions of the play to he somewhat dangerous to the opponents of the wearer.

The object of the present invention is to head-covering of this general description which shall afford ample protection to the head of the wearer, shall be comfort-- able to the wearer, and shall not be dangerousto the opponentsof the wearer.

In accordance with the invention the headcovering, having suitable appliances for securing it upon the head of the wearer, with devices to protect the ears, comprises a cellular covering for the upper portion of the head, whichcellular covering m'ayjbe inflated, so as to make it a sufficient protection to the-head'of the wearer against thejblows I "45 v f 1 f' The invention will be more fully to which it is ordinarily exposed. c v described hereinafter with reference to the accompanyng drawings, in which- Y a o Figure I IS a view n side elevation of a V head-harness which embodies the. prese'ritip tllrttljglf-IQGS and the front endof the band i. Ioo

vention. tion thereof, illustrating in detail one con- Fig.3 1sa"'-- headpiece. {across the Fig. 2 is a longitudinal centraljsecvenient mode of construction. plan view of the head-piece without the devices for securing it to the head, the outer covering beingremoved, Fig. 4c is a plan View of a modified form of the head-piece.

The protective covering a for the upper part of the head is a saucer-shaped cellular structure adapted to he inflated. Obviously such a structure may be formed in difierent v ways, one approved construction beingindicated in Figs. 2 and 3. In this the headcovering is shown as consisting of a series of concentric annular chambers Z), communicating at intervals through comparatively smallapcrimes 0, so that the entire structure-may be inflated without diffieulty, while the displaccmerit of air from one part to another will not be too readily permitted. A stem (2 may be attached at any convenient point for conven ience in inflating. This head-piece will preferably be made of a fabric embodying more or less rubber and of such a character as to permit the head-piece to be blown up quite tightly without material distortion, For the protection of the head-piece from inj ury it may have upper and lower coverings e and f, of

canvas, leather, or any suitable material, such covering being preferably secured to the cellular structure at intervals, as by cement or stitching. This head-piece islarge enough to cover the top of the head and to extend down upon the sides somewhat and is intended to conform snugly to the top of the head. For" the purpose of securing this head-piece to the head of the wearer and at the same time providing protection for the ears, which are not covered by the head-piece, padded earpieces g are provided to cover the ears, and a band h, of leather or any suitable material, is extended from one earpiece to the other across the top of the head-piece. A similar band 1' extends from front to rear across the top of the head-piece, to which both of these bands '5 are secured, while provision may be made at the rear to accommodatethe stem 01 of the forehead of the wearer, connecting A lighter band 'k may extend An elastic band I may extend across the back of the head, connecting the earpieces and the rear end of the band 41, while another elastic band we may be arranged to extend across the chin of the wearer, connecting the two carpieces.

Any suitable securing devices maybe used with the head-piece, and the latter may be constructed in various ways. As shown in Fig. 4, the cellular head-piece a may consist of an elliptical bag divided by partition-walls at, having apertures o to form a series of cells 19, and, as will'be obvious, the intercommunicating cells may be formed in other ways.

Formed substantially as described, with the head-piece relatively thin, but adapted to be inflated quite hard, the improved head-harness is light, reasonably cool, and quite comfortable to the head of the wearer, which it amply protects against any ordinary blow, while at the same time it is not of such a character as to cause injury to any opponent of the wearer.

I claim as my invention- 1. ,A head-harness for foot-ball players, comprising a cellular headpiece consisting of a. plurality of small air-chambers adapted to conform to the head of'the wearer and to be lightly inflated, and means for securingsaid 3. scribed..

head-piece in place, substantially as de- 2. A head-harness for foot-ball players,

I comprising a cellular head-piece adapted to conform to the head of the wearer and to be tightly inflated, inner and outer flexible coverings to which the cellular structure 1s secured, and means to secure said head-piece in place, substantially as described.

8. A head-harness for foot-ball. players, comprising a cellular head-piece adapted to conform to the head of the wearer and to be tightly inflated, bands crossing from front to rear and from side to side and secured there to, and means to secure said bands upon the head of the wearer, substantially as described.

4. A head-harness for foot-ball players, comprising a cellular head-piece adapted to conform to the head of the wearer and to be tightly inflated, a band crossing said headpiece from side to side and secured thereto, earpieces secured to said band, a second band crossing said head-piece from front to rear and secured thereto, a band connecting the front end of the last-named band with said earpieces, an elastic band connecting the rear end of the same band-with said earpieces, and an elastic band connecting said earpieces, substantially as described.

This specification signed and witnessed this 12th day of November, A. D. 1902.

JULIAN W. CURTISS.

In presence of- AntrHoNY N. JESBERA, M. A. BRAYLEY. 

